Comparing Two Personality Theories

'He who has a why to live for can bear any how.' The words of Nietzsche begin to explain Frankl's tone throughout his book. Dr. Frankl uses his experiences in different Nazi concentration camps to explain his discovery of logotherapy. This discovery takes us back to World War II and the extreme suffering that took place in the Nazi concentration camps and outlines a detailed analysis of the prisoners psyche. An experience we gain from the first-hand memoirs of Dr. Frankl.

In psychology, there are four major theories of personality: psychodynamic, trait or five-factor model, humanistic, and social-cognitive. The psychodynamic theory primarily focuses on the role of the unconscious mind. The social cognitive theory focuses on the effect of the environment on behavior and is based on theories of learning. Whereas, the humanistic theory emphasizes conscious life experiences and choices. The trait or five-factor model focuses on characteristics themselves and not the roots of personality.

Many books were published about Holocaust, but Frankl’s work is “One of the outstanding contribution to psychological thought . . .” (Carl Rogers. 1959). Frankl, a psychiatrist and neurologist, spent 3 years in Nazis concentration camps where he underwent

Avoidant attachment of a male present in a romantic relationship (Male super ego and madonna-whore complex)

Prior to World War II, Viktor Frankl was a somewhat successful therapist. Once the war began however, he was sent off to an Auschwitz concentration camp. Everyone in concentration camps had one wish, to stay alive (Frankl 15). Whether they tried to get on the good side of the warden, or attempt an escape, everyone had a different way to survive. Many prisoners died while at camps, but some of them who were hopeful and courageous made it out. Inspired by these prisoners, Frankl created logotherapy to help other find meaning in their own lives.

However with advantages come disadvantages. For example, with correlational studies there is no background information obtained. Therefore, the reliability of the correlational studies is questioned.

The Holocaust is regarded as one of the worst events in human history. In fact, the vast majority of those who were sent to a concentration camp perished there. When prisoners view the despair all around them, they find it hard to see meaning behind all the suffering. Life is no longer worth living, so many prisoners see suicide as the only option to escape the pain. As a psychiatrist who was sent to Auschwitz, a concentration camp notorious for its crematoriums, Viktor Frankl has a special perspective on the loss of the will to live that those imprisoned exhibit. In his own words, “Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths”(Frankl 94). Frankl discovers in himself not only the shock and apathy he displays, but also the strange hope that comes with imagining his freedom. The brutality of the Holocaust changes Frankl and brings out his true self while teaching him that he and others can survive the worst of terrors by setting a purpose in life, which only they can individually determine.

Viktor Frankl, a 20th century psychologist, was born in 1905 in Vienna, Austria. He later attended school at the University of Vienna and received his MD and PhD in psychiatry and neurology, with a focus in depression and suicide (Good Therapy, 2015). However, in 1942, Frankl and his wife, parents, and brother were arrested and taken to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in the

After three years in concentration camps, Frankl returned to Vienna, where he developed and lectured about his approach to psychological healing. He wrote his world-famous Saying Yes to Life in Spite of Everything: A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp, or as it is titled in English, Man’s Search for Meaning. After his suffering in the concentration camps, Frankl made his hallmark conclusion that even under the most painful, dehumanizing circumstances, life has potential meaning and therefore suffering is also meaningful. This conclusion served as a basis for his logotherapy and existential analysis. In 1946, he was appointed to run the Vienna Polyclinic of Neurology. He remarried in 1947, and his resulting daughter went on to

The Jung Typology Test categorized me as an ENFJ personality type – Extravert (1%), Intuitive (28%), Feeling (19%), and Judging (66%) (Humanmetrics, 1998). This particular mix of traits may be categorized using the following words: persuader, structured, caring, upbeat, sensitive, affirming, happy, harmonious, and defensive (Kroeger, Thuesen, & Rutledge, 2002). Kroeger, Thuesen, & Rutledge note the following about the workplace contributions of ENFJ personality types

This paper will go over the founders of assessing personality, how it changes over time, and how the theories of personality have changed. It will also include the main trait theories and what it means when you assess your personality

As a psychiatrist in Vienna, Austria, he helped suicidal patients before and after World War II find meaning in their lives. A Jew, Viktor Frankl was captured and put into three different concentration camps, Auschwitz, Theresienstadt, and Dachau, where he suffered greatly (“The Man”). During his time in camps, he developed his theory of logotherapy, a theory for finding meaning in life. Once liberated, he discovered that his wife, brother, mother and father had all been put to death in camps. All his experiences led to his theory of logotherapy and his book, Man’s Search for Meaning.

Allport defines personality as ‘the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment’ (Allport, 1937). An individual’s unique personality traits and attributes are a powerful indicator of how he/she will interact with the work environment. The difference between average and outstanding employees can often be solely personality related. As the employee is the most valuable asset to the company, ‘selecting the right employee during the process is critical’ (Carbery and Cross, 2013, pp. 41-53)

Leigh Anne Touhy is the fictional representation of the real life Leigh Anne, famed adoptive mother of Michael Oher from the 2009 film The Blind Side. Leigh Anne is a white interior designer, living in the south with her husband and two children. The family is considered to be part of the upper class, and made their money from owning a string of fast food chains. Leigh Anne and her family take in a black homeless boy, Michael, and throughout the film experience a growing love and bond. They eventually adopt Michael and the Leigh Anne becomes a fiercely protective mother. Very little is revealed about her upbringing

This paper is a comparison of three different viewpoints on the subject of personality. Carl Jung, B.F. Skinner, and Carl Rogers all had very different outlooks on what defined someone’s personality. As an added feature I have included myself as a theorist because my views are also different from the previous mentioned theorists. This paper will also look briefly into the background of each theorist because their views on life began in their childhood. Amazingly you will notice the all had similar backgrounds, but came up with completely different ways of looking at life.